No I would make the argument that the old designers from the 80s made elements with the intention of making them simple and reusable. Take these robot arms:

The top one from 1985 could be used to represent a mechanical arm, a hose, a or a fence of some kind. It's precisely sized to fit within the lego grid. It'll combine with many different elements due to the thickness of the claw, the 3.18 mm diameter of the arm, the stud and antistuds on the shoulder area.

The bottom one from 2016 is really heavy shape wise. It's got a 3.18 mm diameter claw and a technic pin. The arm is permanently bent at an angle. The shape suggests the wrist can bend and the knuckles are articulated even though they aren't. The arm is too fat to be compatible with most elements. The shoulder pauldron is some weird diameter. The element could be used as an armored arm or the shoulder could be utilized as an eye. You could use the cylinders in the arm to represent something but 9 times out of 10 you'd never use it for anything other than an arm.

So I'd say in general the older pieces are much more versatile. The designers gave kids all of those extra connection points on purpose so that they could stick them together in all sorts of various weird and creative ways. Here are some examples to prove my point. The loudhailer, three cone element, and 4x4 inverted radar all have technic axle holes molded in even though they serve no obvious purpose.

I'd argue that 80s LEGO design was much simpler, more straightforward and more intuitive than today's. Today it's all about building a core out of plates and snot pieces then adding an exterior of studless pieces with the occasional function engineered in. That's it. No creativity, no ingenuity, just a generic experience that gets repeated. The most interesting part of '10s LEGO imo is the figures. Very realistic, meant to represent symbols of heroism and all these amazing stories. I would argue that LEGO was meant to be an engineering toy, and it still is, but in a storytelling way rather than a mechanical, hands-on way. Being a grown man in his twenties, I don't actually sit and play storytime with my figs, I've got machines to build and mechanisms to play with but whatever floats your boat I guess.

Take the cactus suit. Obviously that's there for when lego reintroduces a desert theme even though it's totally unnecessary since you can snot build cactuses out of ordinary parts.

Um... I disagree. 1. I have never seen Lego use a suit as decoration unless it’s on a manikin or something. If you have a case, I’d really like to see it. 2. There’s a giant hole for the face and the middle is missing so it can sandwich over the torso. 3. This is for the Cactus Girl specifically, the arms are connected to the torso rather than the Cactus part, so basically going that far to make a cactus (using the sandwich piece, minifigure head, AND torso), they may as well just make a cactus minifigure.

Likus:

Just design a textureless hollow cylinder element and reuse it over and over for other things.

Okay, forgot to read this part. I still think that Lego wouldn’t go that far just to make a detailed cactus. They didn’t in the Lego Movie, whether they had that piece or not. Just realized I did not help my statement at all with that.

Likus:

I've noticed a general lack of specialized parts across all lego themes recently and it seems to do with failing sales.

I own one of my favorite documentaries literally because it is Lego, the Brickumentary. In it, it discusses a sales decline years back that was actually due to so many specialized parts. In it, they should images of Jack Stone (that’s what those creepy action guys were called, right?) and Galidor. In fact, this is the same decline that nearly ruined Lego, but it was saved by Bionicle and Star Wars. I would argue that the main reason for the decline is the death of ToysRUs. (Moment of silence)

Likus:

Heck brickheadz is a theme literally built around the concept of no hyper specialized parts.

Maybe that’s the reason it seems almost all ages like them. It’s the classic Lego, plus some modern as well.

Likus:

Too many afols getting the parts they need dirt cheap off BL, and too many parents knowing it's cheaper to buy parts for their kids there are what's hurting lego's biz. It's looking pretty bleak right now.

Well, I’ve always preferred keeping the sets together, and so my parents (and my cousins’ parents, even though he took everything apart) never got us individual bricks. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if my mom doesn’t know Bricklink exists though I’ve told her a few times about it. This is of course, from personal experience. Mocists certainitly do get pieces off of it I’m sure, but the suppliers have to buy their pieces from somewhere, right?

Likus:

It's looking pretty bleak right now.

Well, the death of ToysRUs will kill off some competition, and Lego is also the best toy company being not only a toy but a form of art, media production, and so much more.

Square:

The Banana Suit guy isn't praised too well since the community find it "overdone" with the suit trend

Aw man, I love Banana Suit Guy...

Likus:

The element designer could've used this principle to his advantage and made the curve of the banana match the diameter of a lego tire. Then you have an all-purpose crescent to use on anything. That's something the old designers from the 70s, 80s, and early 90s would've thought of but no one at lego can today.

Using a banana for a wheel? I'm confused. Okay, so I'm sure I'm wrong, but from what it sounds like, you went from saying "we need more specialized parts" to saying "we need parts that can do everything", which are almost opposites in my eyes.

Likus:

That's something the old designers from the 70s, 80s, and early 90s would've thought of but no one at lego can today. Everything has to connect.

That's kind of the point of a building-block system. "Legal builds" are kind of what keeps Lego parts together. I'm probably misinterpreting this.

Likus:

There is no recessed hollow space inside to accept lego windows and thus no way to add glass. Again, wasted opportunity.

If there was, it looks like you could not actually put the glass on the head to fit the eyes in. And then, wouldn't they want to do the same for the circle glasses, which have no piece to fit in.

Likus:

I noticed another mistake with the recent brickheadz rectangular glasses.

I wouldn't say this is at all a mistake, just a disappointment to mocists.

Likus:

And I see these problems not just with elements but entire themes where every one has to have X number of mechs, Y number of helicopters, and Z number of cars. And you say, Likus, it's a good idea to give kids the variety. Now boys can have a ninja themed bike and a batman themed bike and a creator bike and a technic bike and a nexo knights bike. I say it's too much. It's maddening how much filled yet wasted space there is on a lego aisle.

Um... Kids like motorcycles? I mean, Creator gives unique builds with detail but not made for minifigures. Ninjago and Nexo Knights allows Lego to throw in whatever function they want. And Batman is just straight up Batman. Yeah, I don't really know how to respond to this.

Likus:

aking them simple and reusable

So, unspecialized.

Likus:

The designers gave kids all of those extra connection points on purpose so that they could stick them together in all sorts of various weird and creative ways.

But Lego still uses at least four of those. And the ones I haven't seen in a while (for the most part) I've seen remade.

Likus:

Today it's all about building a core out of plates and snot pieces then adding an exterior of studless pieces with the occasional function engineered in. That's it. No creativity, no ingenuity, just a generic experience that gets repeated.

I would actually argue that the sets today are so much more creative and inventive than the sets you talk about. I mean, just look and Ninjago City.

I think you are lookin at sets from a locust perspective, when Lego isn’t engineering their sets towards mocists. Anyways, those are some of my (unpopular) opinions.

I don't think the Piraka are that great.The Barraki are my favorite villain team of G1. 2009 is my favorite year of Bionicle G1Toa Mata-Nui isn't that great.I looked forward to buying a lot of the Hero Factory sets back when it was out. I now prefer the CCBS over regular Bionicle/Technic. But, I still utilize both systems.

BIONICLE's complexity wasn't nearly as much of a problem as people make it out to be, especially if you're only really concerned with the A-plot. In fact, the A-plot of each year is actually really easy to explain and get into it. It's only when you get into things like the serials that the story becomes all that complicated, and those are usually completely disconnected from most of the sets.

That reminds me, one of the major reasons Bionicle is my favorite original Lego IP is actually BECAUSE of the complexity. I’m also really into LOTR, Star Wars, Marvel, and Overwatch, all with complex stories.

BIONICLE's complexity wasn't nearly as much of a problem as people make it out to be, especially if you're only really concerned with the A-plot.

I've never heard more truth in my life.

I'd have to add that for some people the names and terminology and stuff are a little hard to learn, especially if you for some reason tried to explain the story to someone who has never heard of Bionicle, but if you were to ignore that and focus only on the broad strokes, it is actually fairly straightforward.

Matau would have made a terrible villain for 2005 should he had been selected to be the one to betray the Toa Hordika. He's vain yes but he isn't the kind of guy to stab you in the back not even under pressure. At least with Vakama he had overconfidence because Lhikan gave him a boost of moral and the remaining 2004 books paved the way for the plot as it played out in 2005 so of course the seeds of Vakama's downfall were planted and IMO even felt natural to the plot.

G2 has very little redeeming about it. It has completely wasted potential and after the recent leak of news that G2 was supposed to find a way to tie itself back to G1 in a subtle way, I can no longer defend the reboot

The 2008 Phantoka and Mistika would have been fine for any other constraction line that wasn't Bionicle because all the elemental aesthetic that had defined the Toa Nuva and Toa Mata was gone in the 2008 representations of the toa but at the same time I do think that the designs in that line would have made better use if these were all new characters in a all new line with no connection to Bionicle whatsoever. Granted the builds would have still been uninspired but it wouldn't have been baffling to see these ungainly figures represent the heroes of 2000-2003.

Ok, this does not mean that LEGO sets are getting worse or anything. I am makeing this topic to show what LEGO has not done great in the past few years. I am going to list all this things below. Note that this is 100% my opinion.

1.Price Increse: In 2010, from a 20$ set you got a set with much more pieces than you get today! Nowdays, there aren't any good sets which are under 20$, and prices keep increseing. Back then, my parents never got me a set which was more 15$!!!! Now, every set I get is so expensive, and the only good thing you get from these sets are the minifigs, and the rest is almost junk. Take for example the Throne Room Showdown set from Ninjago which just came out. It costs 30$, you get 5 unique minifigs, but the rest of the build is NOTHING, and you don't even care about it. You pay more for the minifigs rather then for the build of the set.

Original themes get repalaced by licenced themes: I already made a topic about this, check it out if you want. Long story short, we have way too many licenced themes, and way to less Original themes. The only original themes we have today are Ninjago, Friends and Elves. That is all. (I am not counting NON-Story ever green themes such as City, Creator or Technic).

LEGO cares more about the money, rather then about it's fans: No need to say more then this.

Too much LEGO Star Wars: LEGO Star Wars has been going on for almost 20 years, and they still keep it. They just keep produceing the same boring sets on and on and on! We just got 2 Millenim Falcons like 4 mounths away from each other. Don't get fooled by mandrproductions.... he is probably the worst LEGO youtuber out there.

5.LEGO does not incourage creativity anymore. On older sets, on the back of the box it said " Just imagine.." and showed other potential builds you can do, even to licenced themes! Nowdays, they just make that overpriced LEGO Classic sets, which have no usefull LEGO Parts in them, and are so OVERPRICED! They just care about makeing money with their own sets, and don't encourage creativity anymore. No wander recent LEGO Youtubers have never made a MOC in their ENTIRE LIFE!!! (mandrproductions in an example).

Cuantity before Quality: Instead of makeing less sets, but more quality, they make more sets, but with less quality. A poor decision in my opinion.

This is all that came in my mind now. There are even more things like this that LEGO does, and I will make a part two if this topic is popular enough. Keep in mind that this was all my opinion, and you might actually argue against what I just said. Just keep that in mind.